Mechanical sofa bed



April 1962 B. B. ANDERSON ET AL 3,028,608

MECHANICAL SOFA BED Filed- Nov. 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l BAZEEL B. ANDERSON JIMMY D. K/MBALL INVENTORS ATTORNEY April 10, 1962 B. B. ANDERSON ET AL 3,028,608

MECHANICAL SOFA BED Filed Nov. 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BAZEEL B. ANDERSON J/MM Y D. K IMBALL INVENTORS Afro/mgr United States Patent MECHANICAL SOFA BED Bazeel B. Anderson, 1901 W. Vickery, Fort Worth, Tex., and Jimmy D. Kimball, 320 Overhill Dr., Arlington,

Tex.

Filed Nov. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 850,484 2 Claims. (Cl. 17)

This invention relates to furniture and has reference to mechanical means converting a sofa to a bed and vice versa.

An object of the invention is to provide a simplified and economically manufactured motorized mechanism for the described purpose.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a combined sofa and bed wherein the bed travels at a fortyfive degree angle with reference to the length of the back of the sofa and whereby two such beds may be placed in a corner of a room without interference with each other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified motor driven mechanism for moving the bed portion inwardly and outwardly, yet one which may be quickly and conveniently converted to manual operation when necessary or desired.

A further object is to provide a mechanized sofa bed having an overload release as a safety precaution in the event the moving bed should encounter an obstacle in its path.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a sofa bed embodying the features of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of two beds arranged at a right angle with reference to each other as would occur when placed in a corner of a room, and showing the diagonal travel of the beds by means of arrows and dotted lines. The square, shown by dotted lines, at adjoining ends of the beds indicate a square table or unused space.

FIGURE 3 is a broken perspective view with bed mattress and sofa back'cushion removed, and showing the movable frame in a partly extended position.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the stationary frame and movabl frame, the latter being shown in its fully extended position.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a portion of the track comprising a part of a movable frame and showing one of the hold down rollers mounted on a portion of the stationary frame.

FIGURE 6 is a broken end elevation and sectional view of the stationary and movable frames.

FIGURE 7 is a transverse sectional view of the sofa baclk and showing the stationary frame connected therewit FIGURE 8 is a broken plan view of a toggle mechanisbm for applying and relieving tension in the operating ca e.

The sofa bed shown in the drawing is comprised of two primary components, namely, a stationary back 10 and a movable bed 11. In the form of the invention shown, the back 10 is comprised of panel ends 12 and 13, a panel back 14, a horizontal top 15 and a shelf 16 therebeneath. A vertical partition 17 is provided between the top 15 and shelf 16, and between the panel ends 12 and 13 to divide the storage space into separate compartments, not numbered. The upper forward ends of the end panels 12 and 13, and forward edge of the partition 17 are sloped so as to support an elongate cushion 18 at an incline thereagainst. The end panels 12 and 13 are cut away, as at 19, at their lower forward edges to receive Patented Apr. 10, 1962 one side of the movable bed 11. A stationary frame 20 is secured along one side thereof by means of vertical supports 21 secured at their lower ends to a rear side 22 of said stationary frame. A forward side member 23 is secured to the rear side member 22, and parallel therewith, by means of diagonal cross members 24 at the ends of the stationary frame 20; similarly disposed, there is an intermediate cross member 25 which supports a reversible motor 26, hereinafter referred to. The above described components of the stationary frame 20 are of angle iron and are welded to each other in their described positions, and with sides thereof perpendicular with reference to the horizontal, with exception of the vertical supports 21 which are perpendicular to the back panel 14.

The bed 11 is comprised of a rectangular movable frame 27, also of angle iron, and is comprised of forward and rear side members 28 and 29 and end members 30. Around the movable frame 27 there are horizontal wood supports 31 having upwardly projecting rails 32 for holding a box spring 33 and mattress 34 thereon.

Diagonal depending tracks 35 of angle iron are secured across the bottom of the movable frame 27 and engage rollers 36 on the diagonal end cross members 24 of the stationary frame 20. Intermediate the ends of the stationary end members 24 there are inverted L-shaped brackets 37 which support hold down rollers 38 for engaging the upper surfaces of the tracks 35 on the movable frame 27.

In addition to the rollers 36 on the forward ends of the diagonal stationary end cross members 24, there are similarly mounted rollers 39 on the rear ends of the movable tracks 35, and which last referred to rollers engage notches 40 in the upper rear surface of said stationary ends. Similar notches 41 are provided in the lower edges of the tracks 35 intermediate the ends thereof and engage the stationary rollers 36 when the bed 11 is extended. Feet, in the form of blocks 42 are secured to the lower surface of the outer movable frame side 28 and drop down and rest on the floor when the notches 41 in the tracks 35 engage the stationary rollers 36. As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, in order to completely conceal the stationary frame 20 when the bed is in its retracted position, one end of said stationary frame is truncated, as at 43.

The previously referred to motor 26 mounted on the diagonal stationary cross member 25 includes a reduction gear 44 and sheave 45 which engages an actuating cable 46 attached at one end to the rear side of the movable frame 27 and at the other end to the forward side thereof. The last referred to connection is best illustrated in FIG- URE 8 where there is provided a toggle assembly 47 comprised of a pivoted lever 48 and a pivoted link 49 thereon. The link 49 is connected with the cable 46 by means of a coiled tension spring 50. The cable 46 is parallel with the stationary diagonal cross member 25, and which cross member includes an idler pulley 51, offset from the motor 26 and over which the cable is looped.

A reversing switch 52 is located in one of the panel ends 12 or 13 and which switch is electrically connected with the motor 26. By operating the switch 52, the bed 11 may be caused to move either in or out relative to the sofa back 10. Since the cable 46 is frictionally engaged on the sheave 45, the cable will slip if the bed encounters an obstruction in its path. The frictional engagement of the cable 46 on the sheave 45 may be relieved by operation of the toggle lever 45, which last referred to operation would be desirable in the event of power failure.

The invention is not limited to the construction herein shown and described, but may be made in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed'isz 1. A sofa bed comprising a sofa back and stationary horizontal frame, a reversible motor mounted on said stationary frame between the sides thereof, a horizontally movable frame over saidstationary frame and in moving contact transversely thereof, a sheave driven by said motor, the axis of said sheave being perpendicular to the transverse movement of said movable frame, a cable connected with opposite-sides of said movable frame and frictionally engaging said sheave, and means applying and relieving tension along the length of said cable, said transverse movement of said movable frame being diagonal with reference to the lengthof-said sofa back.

2. A sofa bed comprising a sofa back and stationary horizontal frame, a reversible motor mounted on said stationary frame between the ends thereof, a horizontally movable frame over said stationary frame and in moving contact transversely thereof, a sheave driven by said motor, the axis of said sheave being perpendicular to the transverse movement of said movable frame,'a cable connected with opposite sides of said movable frame and in frictional engagement with said sheave, and-a lever operated toggle assembly mounted on one side of said movable frame and connected with said cable for applying and releasing tension to said cable.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Decker ,Apr. 6, Shaw Oct. 6,. Kwiatkowski et al. May 5, Thurnim May 10,- Aronson Feb. 8, Preston Aug. 29, St. Martin Apr. 7, Holden Apr. 21, Petersen et al. June 23, Gottlieb et a1 ,Mar. 2, Harrison Oct. '12, Kaehn May 8, Paramore Aug. 4, Randolph Sept. .22,

FOREIGN PATENTS Austria Aug. 10, 

